By CHRISTOPHER S. STEWART Glenn Beck still rails against his usual enemies, from the "hardcore socialist left" to "extreme Islam." Now there is a new target: mainstream television.

After parting company with Fox News last year, Mr. Beck took his message of outrage and self-reliance online. He launched an Internet video network called GBTV, where he is on air for two hours a day, alongside six more hours of shows, from "Liberty Treehouse," a history and news program for children, to the reality program "Independence USA," where a family explores life off the grid.

Conservative firebrand Glenn Beck has big ambitions for his Web TV channel, GBTV, which currently has only a few hours of programming but plans become a 24/7 network. Christopher Stewart has details on The News Hub. Photo: AFP/Getty Images.Ultimately, Mr. Beck said GBTV will become a 24/7 network, with plans to double programming this year. In January, he signed a deal with the production company Icebox —founded by writers from "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill" —to create an animated comedy series. He also is readying a documentary about Occupy Wall Street.

"We're taking on the big guys," Mr. Beck said in a recent interview at the Manhattan production studio of GBTV in the basement of a skyscraper. The conservative talk-show host had just flown in from Dallas, where he now lives—"away from the suits," as he put it.

On one side of the room sits a glassed-in control room, packed with humming computers and servers. Then there are his signature set items: a wall of TVs playing loops of news clips and those famous chalkboards, which Mr. Beck uses to emphasize his on-air talking points, recent favorites of which are economic collapse, hate and war.

Driving Mr. Beck's subscription-based network is a belief that television is going through an existential crisis, with the rise of online video outlets like Netflix Inc. NFLX +4.67%and Google Inc.'s GOOG +0.83%YouTube threatening to lure away viewers.

.For established personalities, like Mr. Beck the barriers to entry are low on the Internet. Other celebrities have started to experiment online. In December, the comedian Louis C.K., who stars in FX's "Louie," sold his comedy show "Louis C. K: Live at the Beacon Theater" for $5 a download on his website. In about 12 days, he said he pulled in more than $1 million. Jillian Michaels, a screaming trainer on NBC's "The Biggest Loser," now sells weight-loss programs and fitness videogames online.

"The political and pop culture personalities going directly to their public is definitely a phenomenon that is starting to break," said Michael Hirschorn, the former head of programming at VH1 who co-founded the entertainment company IconicTV, which is creating three channels for YouTube. But that notion of stars going straight to their fans online is still mostly uncharted. "We have yet to prove the business model out, but it feels inevitable" Mr. Hirschorn said.

Mr. Beck is intent on keeping his Fox fans while also capturing the younger Internet-surfing generation. "When the audience of 65 and over dies off," he said, "then TV is in trouble if they haven't found a new way to connect with the next vibrant and mobile generation."

In contrast to traditional TV, which depends on people buying big bundles of channels, GBTV is available as an individual channel and must be watched on Internet-connected devices,

Glenn Beck says his GBTV will become a 24/7 network.."We are on the edge of something that is bigger than industrial revolution," Mr. Beck said of the industry changes. "How do you survive? What will people want?"

The transformation is also evident in the economics of the business. On Fox News, Mr. Beck averaged 2.2 million daily viewers and was paid $2.5 million a year. GBTV, which jumped on the scene in September, is expected to bring in at least $40 million in revenue this year, supported by advertising and more than 300,000 subscribers paying as much as $9.95 a month for full access to GBTV, according to a person close to the company. While it is significantly smaller than his audience at Fox News, it's still more than an established network like CNBC, which drew an average of 189,000 viewers over the course of the total day in February, according to Nielsen.

To turn that revenue into profit, Mr. Beck keeps costs low by using staff and equipment already in place for other parts of Mercury Radio Arts, Mr. Beck's multimedia mini-empire, which includes best-selling books, a syndicated radio show that draws some 10 million listeners a week, public events, and Blaze, a news and opinion website. As a result, Mr. Beck's initial investment in the network was paid off in the first two months, according to a person close to the company.

Some 120 people now work in the wider Beck kingdom, which is expected to bring in $80 million in revenue this year, according to the same person. The business is flush enough now to afford two sets—the one in New York and a second in Dallas, where the network's headquarters is being built—the capital of Glenn Beck Inc.

"It's scary to go out and not take someone else's money," said Mr. Beck, sitting now on a couch below pictures of the Founding Fathers. "But I wanted to be my own man, and say, 'Look at what we built.' "

Few people urged him on. "No one said, 'Hey, you should take the most successful show on TV at 5 o'clock and flush it down the toilet and then you should take a gigantic movement called Fox and kiss it goodbye.' Who does that?"

"To go off and start his own thing, that's a huge risk," said Rich Greenfield, an analyst at BTIG LLC. "But if people are willing to pay you, then you're cutting out the middleman."

The commentator, who sometimes calls himself a "rodeo clown," came out of morning radio, where he became known for his right-leaning rhetoric, before moving to cable news, first with CNN and then to Fox News.

On air, Mr. Beck positions himself as a kind of healer in a fallen world, driven in part by his fight with alcoholism. "One of the promises I made myself when I sobered up," said Mr. Beck, "is to be true to yourself."

In his 27-month stint at Fox News from 2009 into 2011 he predicted the fall of the U.S. economy, occasionally cried, and picked fights with the Obama administration, at one time accusing the president of "a deep-seated hatred for white people," a remark that caused advertisers to flee. (Fox News is owned by News Corp NWSA +0.85%., which owns The Wall Street Journal.)

After clashing with management, Mr. Beck and Fox split up. He considered joining another cable channel, but decided mainstream news was too restrictive with "too many filters." He also wanted more control over staff, content and air time.

"I like to do 20-30 minute monologues—sometimes, I like to skip a commercial break," he said. "Sometimes I like to completely ignore the news of the day."

At one point, he joked that the slogan for GBTV would be "Too Crazy For Fox? I'll Show You Too Crazy For Fox" but instead it became "The Truth Lives Here."

As for the future, if the world doesn't end, Mr. Beck concedes that he isn't sure where the network will go. "I have self-doubt every single day," he said, adding at another point, "come back to me in a year."

But asked if he would ever return to cable, Mr. Beck said he wouldn't rule out working with a network as a supplier—just not as an employee. "I am a content provider," he said. "I'll provide content to anybody.""

By Alex Seitz-Wald on Feb 24, 2012 at 10:30 amConservative (Beck) talker-endorsed precious metal retailer Goldline International agreed to a court order this week to repay defrauded customers $4.5 million and overhaul its business practices. The injunction, handed down by the Los Angeles County Superior Court, was obtained by the City Attorney of Santa Monica, California — where the company is based — who had filed 19 criminal counts of fraud and theft against the company last year. Those charges have now been dismissed.

Goldline’s entire business model was essentially a scam, the city attorney found. It was a bait-and-switch: Consumers wanted to buy gold bullion, but salespeople preyed on their fears — including falsely claiming that the government could seize bullion — and misled them into buying vastly overpriced gold coins instead. Consumers typically paid more than 55 percent above the actual value of the coins, which are much harder to sell down the road, instantly wiping out a large portion of their savings.

At the time, Goldline called the charges “preposterous” and vowed to fight them. But in addition to the $4.5 million, the court order requires Goldline to put $800,000 into a fund for future claims, and submit to a court-appointed monitor who will have full access to company’s operations, at Goldline’s expense. In addition, it will have to disclose its actual markups and stop misleading customers.

Santa Monica, CA – Following dismissal of all misdemeanor charges and a mutual settlement between Goldline International and the Santa Monica City Attorney, the City Attorney issued a press release replete with serious misstatements and inaccuracies concerning Goldline's business practices. Among the numerous facts which the City Attorney's Office omitted or misstated are the following:

The City Attorney did not obtain any contested judgment against Goldline nor was there any finding of liability or wrongdoing by Goldline. To the contrary, Goldline entered into a settlement with the City Attorney and the parties jointly agreed to certain conditions of that settlement which was submitted and approved by a court. The parties expressly agreed that "This Judgment is not to be construed as an admission of liability by any party or a finding of liability against any party. Goldline expressly denies all allegations set forth in the Complaint." (Emphasis added.)

Goldline's disclosures and transparency represented the best in the industry prior to the settlement with Santa Monica. Goldline offered among the most comprehensive written disclosures including complete information regarding Goldline's sales staff, the risks of investing in precious metals, and Goldline's pricing policies.

Throughout the period investigated by Santa Monica, Goldline's pricing was transparent to its customers. Every client reviewed and signed Goldline's Account and Storage Agreement as well as reviewed its large type risk disclosure booklet that clearly spelled out Goldline's pricing. The company also provided an easy to understand mathematical example to ensure the client understood both Goldline's selling price and its buyback price. Goldline explained its pricing again in a written trade confirmation that was sent to every client.

Every client identified in the settlement who is eligible for a refund in exchange for a return of their precious metals had read and signed Goldline's agreement and risk disclosure materials regarding pricing.

Goldline's commissioned sales staff were trained and monitored to follow Goldline's compliance program, a program designed by experienced consumer protection, telemarketing and precious metals professionals.

There was no award of damages as incorrectly suggested by the City Attorney's Office nor has there been any finding that any client was defrauded by the company. Goldline agreed to allow 43 clients, comprising a scant 1/10th of 1% of its clients for the relevant period, to return their precious metals for a refund. At this time, no one can say how many of these clients will choose to return their precious metals. If the clients ask for a refund, the company will receive in exchange the original precious metals which are valued in the millions of dollars.

The City Attorney's office mischaracterized its investigation. Initially, only the City Attorney and the Los Angeles District Attorney were involved in a civil investigation. However, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office declined to participate in any criminal or civil prosecution of Goldline.

The City Attorney falsely characterized Goldline's information regarding the 1933 Executive Order and the government ban on the private ownership of gold for 40 years. This topic, which is widely discussed in the precious metals industry and by the media, was truthfully presented and included clear disclosures to ensure Goldline customers understood the historic context of the government ban. The City Attorney's Office agreed that this truthful discussion is appropriate and that Goldline may continue to discuss the 1933 Executive Order and the 40 year ban on the private ownership of gold with its clients.

The City Attorney's claim that such discussions are now improper or prohibited is untrue and represents a serious attack upon constitutionally protected free speech. It is a protected and historically grounded opinion that the government can recall gold held by its citizens. The Executive Order of 1933 called for the immediate return of certain quantities of gold, including bullion, upon penalty of fine or imprisonment. The Order specifically carved out from its scope "gold coins having a recognized special value to collectors of rare and unusual coins"-a description that was applied by the Treasury Department to exempt a number of the popular coins which Goldline sells.

It is further truthful and constitutionally protected speech to state that the United States government retains the authority to recall gold from its citizens during times of war. This fact is part of the City Attorney's approved statement on this issue. Independent commentators, financial analysts, and public officials continue to offer opinions that government has the authority to recall gold to date. Any personal opinion held by the Santa Monica City Attorney as to the likelihood that the government will in the future once again act as it did in 1933 does not justify the issuance of a press release attacking Goldline based on facts that are unproven, unsupported, and false.

The City Attorney's assertion that Goldline sold "overpriced" coins or that it charged a mark-up of over 50% over the fair market value is patently false. It is equally false to say that the company improperly concealed the mark-up of its products.

The City Attorney improperly refers to claims from former employees without disclosing that that many of these employees work for direct competitors who offer none of the transparency, compliance or training provided by Goldline.

Goldline is proud of its role as the industry leader in customer service, compliance and transparency. This settlement only further demonstrates the company's commitment and challenges every competitor to meet these standards.

A Monitor (I know him) has been appointed by the Court for three years to oversee nearly all aspects of Goldline's business. At $550+ an hour (I'm guessing) Goldline will pay thousands upon thousands of dollars for his time and staff time. And this Monitor is needed because???

Strict written work guidelines and customer disclosures have been agreed to by Goldline.

Goldline returned over $4.5 million dollars to customers at the order of the Injuction

Upon request of future customers, the Monitor is authorized to pay out an additional $800,000.

Goldline was fined $50,000 by the City.

But you say Goldline sounds like a fine firm. I'll let you do business with them..... And if you like them so much, like Beck, please tell your friends to give Goldline their money.Then again, I doubt if they will remain your friend for long.

Besides innocent until ... what? where did I miss the point about Goldline being political? Does it taint Glen Beck's view on Israel or change the video he played exposing Obama's radical advisers? What is the point? If Beck were the politician then maybe it questions his judgment, but what is he running for?

Obama sat in the pew while Rev Wright assaulted our country, did Beck sit in the room while client money was wrongfully disbursed. And again, what is he running for? Did the poster in a crusade against corruption make a point previously about the commodities trading of HRC that I missed, or is this a cheap shot at a radio show that the host of the forum said that he liked?

If not for the opponent boycott campaigns against freedom of speech, Beck's sponsors might be GE, Chevrolet and Goldman Sachs. Oops I just named 3 more corrupt companies.

Doug said today: "If Beck were the politician then maybe it questions his judgment, but what is he running for?"

If a friend, much less a politician had recommended Goldline to me, I would "question their judgment". Further, when I found out that my so called "friend" had received direct compensation and had further extolled the virtues of Goldline and continued to receive compensation AFTER knowing that they were under investigation, I would question my friendship all together.

But as I said; if this is the kind of friend/advisor you want, transfer your money to Goldline.

Or tell your friends to do so; then again, they might not be your friend for much longer...

The point was, how is it political, what is Beck or Goldline running for, if it clouds his judgment on Israel, big government, liberty etc, how so? Not answered as usual. Welcome back.

If they are breaking laws they can face prosecution, pay fines, go to jail. If you are pointing out the system is working, then what is the political point of it? Some similarity to Geithner not paying his taxes? Really?

I don't like commercials but I like free radio. I'm sure the hosts would prefer not to do personal sponsorships. No comment (as usual) on how the anti-free speech radical extremists keep him from having mainstream sponsors. No comment on Hillary (shocking) and her commodity trading. The only thing that is not a prosecutable felony in her case is the statute of limitations. She is still in power and still contemplated for the Presidency. She helped make the last decision about going to war and HER judgment matters. This wasn't a sponsor of a pundit. Cat got your tongue or did I miss where you thoroughly trashed her for that?

Isn't there enough in Beck's opinions and analysis to discuss his views in a political context? The logic is discredit the view because of business practices of the sponsor? I don't think the point ever was that Beck is a great man, but that his articulated views on pertinent issues resonate with certain people here. How does Beck's sponsor cloud my judgment, or that of others here?

And maybe there was some sleaze in its business practices-- coughing up over $4M is not a small thing-- but the larger point remains i.e. exactly what IS the point with regard to GB?

And what of "how the anti-free speech radical extremists keep him from having mainstream sponsors?" It is no accident that the first thing this vast left-wing conspiracy went after with Rush Limbaugh was his sponsors.

And maybe there was some sleaze in its business practices-- coughing up over $4M is not a small thing-- but the larger point remains i.e. exactly what IS the point with regard to GB?

What were their legal expenses to defend themselves and the projected legal expenses?

And what of "how the anti-free speech radical extremists keep him from having mainstream sponsors?" It is no accident that the first thing this vast left-wing conspiracy went after with Rush Limbaugh was his sponsors.

George Soros' "Media Matters" targets those that advertise on conservative radio.

And maybe there was some sleaze in its business practices-- coughing up over $4M is not a small thing-- but the larger point remains i.e. exactly what IS the point with regard to GB?

And what of "how the anti-free speech radical extremists keep him from having mainstream sponsors?" It is no accident that the first thing this vast left-wing conspiracy went after with Rush Limbaugh was his sponsors.

As Americans, I hope that all of us can unite upon this.

Crafty, you have a stellar reputation. I may not agree with you on all points, but I respect your opinion and you personally. Imagine if you were selling on your website, and receiving compensation, in good faith a product. Then imagine if the Santa Monica Attorney General's Office decided to open an investigation into that product. Further, other accusation were made about the honesty of the product. What would you do? If I had to guess, you would take the product off your website until the dust cleared; until the "truth" came out. And if, an injunction was issued, alleging wrongful action and the company paid out millions of dollars and were so suspect that they needed to have a Monitor paid for by themselves to monitor their future actions, what would you do? I bet you you would offer an apology - saying sorry, I didn't know. Frankly, at the first sniff of corruption or sleaze, at minimum, I bet you would have dropped the product from your line. Beck didn't; he continued to receive compensation. His political viewpoint, or HRC has absolutely nothing to do with my criticism. He should have dropped them like a hot potato and moved on doing what he does best; political commentary.

To answer GM's comment, Goldline is a scam. I said that almost a year ago. Now they paid out over $4million to avoid an indictment; settling for an injunction. And they will pay over 1Million more not to mention have a Monitor on premises for 2-3 years.

As a side not, I'm sure sure about this supposed "vast left wing conspiracy". I hear the phrase a lot on this forum. Frankly, I think it's hogwash. No more than a "right wing conspiracy". Should I be worried about the millions upon millions of dollars from Adelson given to Gingrich? Or the Kock brother's millions? No. While I don't agree with them, they are entitled to their opinion and they put their money where their mouth is. Soros does the same. No better; no worse. Why is Soros the devil incarnate? (Not that I care about Soros one way or another). As for "going after Rush" well boycotts and protests are the American Way. What's wrong with that? Freedom on choice and freedom, within the law to influence your choice.

a) the "left wing conspiracy" thing is a bit of a humorous riff mirroring Hillary Clinton's statement years ago

b) I get your point about Soros, but apart from the fact that he is wrong in his goals there is also the matter of how he goes about things. For example, Adelson does not create and fund a giant operation to take down/out political opponents--as Soros did with Beck. He does not meet with Fox News threatening economic consequences backed by billions of dollars and a vast network unless Beck is fired, as Soros did. He does not threaten to undermine the American Creed, as Soros does. I can't remember the details with great specificity this fine Wednesday morning a year or two later, but I do remember that they were there.

c) Question: Does FOX or does Beck make the determination about advertisers on the show? I would imagine FOX (but I could be wrong) in which case your whole argument is , , , wide of the mark.

b) Actually I think the Koch brothers have done exactly that; try to take down and fund political opponents and causes; not that I am complaining. That is their right; it's the American way. I truly love our system of checks and balances and freedom of speech.

c) It has been said that "Beck and Fox parted ways because Beck had too much power and Fox couldn't control him". It was in many ways, Beck's show; Fox was merely the platform. I think Beck could easily of said, let's take a pass on Goldline until the dust cleared. Instead, he continued to vociferously endorse Goldline. A mistake IMHO.

Frankly, I like Beck. We need Beck. While I don't agree with him, he is articulate and delves into interesting new areas and presents "opposing" viewpoints. I do think, as I expressed, that he went overboard, as did others on this forum IMHO, calling the young lady a "slut" and worse, but he apologized for that. Good enough; that is all I ask. He should have done the same with Goldline.

GM inquired some time ago if Goldline is a "scam". Well.... I thought then and I do now, the answer is yes. You don't pay out $5million and agree to have an expensive Monitor literally on premises that Goldline will pay for to observe all business practices because you have been "shaken down by the dem machine". Rather, it's a hail mary to avoid an indictment, probably thereafter followed by bankruptcy. The coin business is fraught with fraud; I think you have lived here long enough in Southern California to remember McNall, the previous owner of the L.A. Kings.... I went to quite a few games with my best friend, who at the time, was the partner in charge at Coopers Lybrand of the Kings account (not, my friend points out, his coin business).....

Anyway, I suppose Beck could have done as you suggest, but I find it rather easy to see how he might have just assumed it was a Dem machine shakedown-- fomented by political opponents, yes?-- and carried on with his very busy life. Bottom line, I'm not really taking very seriously the effort to taint him with this.

You are right; somehow I mixed up Rush and Beck; not much difference though.

I agree, no reason to take this very seriously; I just wanted to follow up and point out, in answer to GM's comment/question of last year, thatit was a scam. Not a dem machine shakedown. This was more than a slap on the wrist.

Often on this forum and in the news in general, controversial incidents happen; they are reported, and arguments for and against are presented. For example Police are arrested, "innocents" are shot, etc. We hear the initial noise, but it's also nice to see the conclusion, whatever the outcome. Usually I like to think our system works. Somehow however, the conclusion is usually not in the news, perhaps it's not as sensational, yet I find that to be equally as important.

We are in complete agreement on the importance of following up. Indeed much of the structure and content of this forum is about being able to do precisely that.

Without the ability to follow up and the ability to pull things out of the "memory hole" (attention unread folks-- this is a reference from Orwell's 1984) we become manipulated by the pravdas and their masters.

If the ad hominem attack is against the person, we will need the Latin plural for the attacking all of them and their sponsors in one fell swoop.

That the accused agreed to pay out is the evidence of a crime not charged. We waste so much time and money even having a criminal justice system. Easier to just accuse and extort until we get the right amount of damages out of them.

On 11/3/11 Prosecutors filed criminal charges against Goldline International Inc., a Santa Monica company that is one of the nation’s largest gold dealers, for allegedly tricking customers into buying gold coins at inflated prices.

The Santa Monica city attorney’s office accused Goldline of running a “bait and switch” operation in which customers seeking to invest in gold bullion were instead sold gold coins that were marked up more than 50%

The company, which used radio talk show host Glenn Beck as a pitchman, has seen sales soar in recent years along with the price of gold. In one ad campaign, Beck said Goldline was “a top-notch organization” and in another said it was the “only gold company I recommend and use.”

Beck did not respond to an email seeking comment for this story.

The 19-count criminal complaint accused Goldline Chief Executive Scott Carter and five other current and former employees of promoting coins as a better investment than bullion without disclosing the markup.

The vast majority of cases are plea bargained, the system would collapse if most elected to go to trial. Still, getting money and an appointed "monitor" is not something I've seen at my level. Sounds pretty "Holderish".

" I’m tired … of a certain section of people acting like they have having a monopoly on patriotism. They don’t. … And so now I’m saying, ‘two can play that game if you want to.’”

Oh yes. Van Jones loves America. The second part is basically what him and friend Brock are doing - spinning all the criticisms of them back to the Republicans. Like for example when Brock is called radical he simply calls the right radical. Like when he is called a socialist he calls the right socialist or with a new twist, social darwinists.

The Prez has led us down a road of child like tit for tat.

I am not sure if any President has ever divided Americans into different groups the way this guy has.

Lincoln tried to keep us together not the other way around.

Limbaugh asks why he is such an angry Black man. He says his mother was white, his father was African (not a slave dependent). He himself has done quite wel with lots of help from whites. I think this is the wrong question. But it is obvious he has chosen this route. It is not just politics or contrived. He is angry. Always has been.

I don't think one can separate Jones from Brock. Once Brock is out of office hopefully Jones will fade.

What are the odds that the Washington Post would have a full scale hit piece accusing Mitt Romney (as a teenager) of bullying gay classmates, ready for press the very same day President Obama declares he’s the Abe Lincoln for gays?

I don't know it it's a conspiracy, that's kinda silly, but what happened 50 years ago in high school..... who cares...... Sorry. We all had our moments in high school.

Nor do I care about Obama's grades. Let's talk about the issues. The economy. Foreign Policy, lots of issues..... Both men have an adult track record.

I think most Democrats and Independents concede (maybe you don't agree) that Obama AND Romney are basically good people. They have good morals, they are goodfamily men, and they mean well, albeit they are both politicians. Therefore sometimes misdirected. Whether Obama got A's or B's, or Romney had a high school playground incident isn't really relevant.

I think you miss part of the point concerning BO. It is that we knew next to nothing about a man about to become President of the US, who lived much of his life outside the US (to the point that a substantial percentage of the American people wonder(ed) if he is actually a native born citizen), and who had a substantial history of rubbing elbows with violent communists, subversive communists, racists, and anti-semites (the Rev. Wright's support of Louis Farrakhan). The man never held a job in the private sector, never ran a business, never served in the armed forces, never wrote a law review article, NOTHING. State legislator who voted present most of the time, and 18 months in the Senate (in a freak circumstances win) before running for President.

In such a context, to want to know something, ANYTHING, about his college record and much, much more seems more than a little reasonable to me.

The pravdas did not care and deliberately looked away, but now they work in concert with him to go after his opponent.

Contrast that to what we know about Romney.

Beck is right. It sure looks like WaPo, a.k.a. Pravda On The Potomac, is a pravda for Baraq. This is worth noting.

Woof, It's doubtful that you would find a video of the Media and the Democrats getting together andcoming up with a written mutal agreement as to what and how to make Repubs look bad, and at the same time protect Obama. However, there is no doubt in my mind that the Media is doing everything it can to make Repubs look bad and protect Obama. While at the same time the Left is feeding them everything they can to help in this effort. P.C.

As Pravda on the Hudson struggles to understand (and impugn) I am reminded of an old Bob Dylan song, "The Ballad of the Thin Man" I think it was called which had the line "There's something going on here and you don't understand what it is, do you Mr. Jones?"

As the American Declaration of Independence clearly states, when in thecourse of human events it becomes necessary for people to band togetherand collectively declare their rights and responsibilities to which the laws ofnature and nature’s God entitle and bind them, a decent respect to theopinions of mankind requires that they should disclose the causes whichimpel them to such.

Therefore let us declare that we still hold these truths to be self-evident thatall men are created equal and are endowed by our creator with certaininalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit ofhappiness. But with those rights come responsibilities.

In order to continually experience life, liberty and happiness as promised,nature’s God demands obedience to His law to protect those rights. This iswhere we have fallen short and therefore, in order not to lose the blessings offreedom, the people of the world must turn from the sole focus on rights, andrecognize the inherent and required responsibilities that we have.

Among the responsibilities to which we must adhere to maintain our Godgiven rights are honor, courage and vigilance.

Over time, we believe that these basic human responsibilities have beentrampled, and replaced with degradation, fear and apathy. But when a long train of abuses of the people and conscience by the mediaand by other segments of society, pursuing the same path of reducing themto ridicule, scorn and even sub-human status, it is their right, it is theirDUTY, to peacefully, but vehemently take a stand.

Men want to be king, and the more we concentrate on our rights and themore we are told not to worry about our responsibilities, the more we loseour rights.

Just as physics show, for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction.The time has come to declare that at least for the western world humanrights are generally accepted and moving in the right direction however anew movement is required a movement of human responsibility.

The media, politicians and large institutions both academic and politicalhave been lying to us, and we must demand the truth be told.With that demand, comes the responsibility that we tell the truth first, inourselves. Too many of us delegate our responsibility to the media…and toomany believe there is no personal responsibility at all.

Political correctness has polluted our language and clouds our everydiscussion.

What was once accepted as good and right, is now considered bad and evil,and that which was bad and evil is now presented to the world as good anddecent.

Opposing thoughts or opinions are referred to as crazy, insane, non-factualand utterly without merit. Furthermore, we are told, they should not even beheard.

Now, the time has come to take a stand by exhibiting the traits – honor,courage and vigilance.

What is honor? It is being honest in all of our dealings. It is showing loyaltyand fairness, and being a beacon of integrity in all our beliefs and actions. Itis showing respect for others.

Ruth honored Naomi when she told her that she would not leave her. Thatshe would go wherever Naomi went, that she would live where Naomi livedand die where Naomi died. Her God would be Naomi’s God.

Courage is the ability to face danger, criticism or scorn – not without fear,but while overcoming fear to deal with that which comes our way.

When no one else in the Kingdom wanted to face the mighty giant, Goliath,young David was willing. David must have felt fear at the sight of his foe,but overcame it, and courageously vanquished his enemy.

Vigilance is being watchful for all forms of treachery and tyranny, lies anddeceit. The person in the watchtower, waiting all night, suddenly soundingthe alarm that the enemy is coming. The careful observer of the markets andeconomies who proclaims to the world, all is not well, there is trouble aheadand the outspoken critic of the powerful, going against societies’ grain,warning that all is not as we’re being told. These are the vigilant.

We implore all people to stand with these characteristics – honor, courageand vigilance.

To that end, we must restore honor in our own lives. Seek after the truth.Declare right now, that no longer will we simply accept what is told us bythe media or anyone else.

The media has the responsibility to tell the truth, we have the responsibilityto learn it.

Stand with courage, even if it means the end of our jobs, the end of ourpositions in life…or even the end of our very lives.

We must have the courage to be peaceful, while recognizing the courage todefend and respond to threats and/or attacks when necessary.

Turn the other cheek when possible.

We must be vigilant. We must think the unthinkable. The holocaust occurredbecause no one could imagine it, but evil never sleeps, and neither must we.As Edmund Burke said, “all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for goodmen to do nothing.” We must DO something. Stand watch. Speak up. Become involved.

Thus, we the people do hereby declare not only our rights, but do nowestablish this bill of responsibilities.

1. Because I have the right to choose, I recognize that I am accountableto God and have the responsibility to keep the 10 commandments in myown life.

2. Because I have the right to worship as I choose, I have theresponsibility to honor the right of others to worship as they see fit.

3. Because I have freedom of speech, I have the responsibility to defendthe speech of others, even if I strongly disagree with what they’resaying.

4. Because I have the right to pursue happiness, I have the responsibilityto show humility and express gratitude for all the blessings I enjoy andthe rights I’ve been given.

5. Because I have the right to honest and good government I will seekout honest and just representatives when possible. If I cannot find onethen I accept the responsibility to take that place.

6. Because I have the God given right to liberty, I have the personalresponsibility to have the courage to defend others to be secure in theirpersons, lives and property.

7. Because I have the right to equal justice, I will stand for those whoare wrongly accused or unjustly blamed.

8. Because I have the right to knowledge, I will be accountable formyself and my children’s education…to live our lives in such a way thatinsures the continuation of truth.

9. Because I have the right to pursue my dreams and keep the fruits ofmy labor, I have the responsibility to feed, protect and shelter myfamily, the less fortunate, the fatherless, the old and infirm.

10. Because I have a right to the truth, I will not bear false witness norwill I stand idly by as others do.

Unconditionally, while maintaining my responsibility to compassionatelyyet fiercely stand against those things that decay the natural rights of allmen. And for the support of this declaration, and with a firm reliance on theprotection of Divine Providence we mutually pledge to each other our lives,fortunes and sacred honor.

Glenn Beck, who departed Fox News last year and started his own Internet television network, is sticking with his radio network partner. His company, Mercury Radio Arts, will announce on Monday that it has renewed its contract with Premiere Networks, keeping “The Glenn Beck Program” in syndication for five more years.

Mr. Beck’s show entered national syndication via Premiere, a unit of Clear Channel, 10 years ago. Now carried by more than 400 stations, the show typically ranks No. 3 among all news-talk radio shows, behind Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, so the contract extension brings a measure of stability to local stations that carry it.

The show is broadcast from 9 a.m. until noon in most markets. Last week, another host in the time period, Neal Boortz, announced that he would retire in January. Herman Cain, the former Republican presidential candidate and businessman, will start hosting a show in Mr. Boortz’s place.

On Sunday another competitor was announced, as Cumulus Media said it would start distributing Geraldo Rivera’s New York and Los Angeles talk show to stations nationwide from 9 a.m. to noon, beginning in August.

But Mr. Beck’s show is the biggest by far in the mornings.

“There are a handful of superstar talents, and Glenn Beck is truly one of those,” said Julie Talbott, a president at Premiere, in a telephone interview.Mr. Beck said in a statement about Premiere, “Over the past 10 years, they have proven to be a true partner in every sense of the word.” His last radio deal, in 2007, was valued at $10 million a year. Premiere and Mercury Radio Arts declined to comment on the value of the new one, but a person with direct knowledge of the deal said it would pay Mr. Beck $100 million over the course of the contract.

Chris Balfe, the president of Mr. Beck’s company, said that Premiere would continue to help sell advertising for some of Mr. Beck’s Web sites, including for GBTV, the Internet network that was introduced last fall.

The subscription network includes several shows, including a weekday afternoon one by Mr. Beck. “They’ve been partners for us in the new initiatives that Glenn’s wanted to launch,” Mr. Balfe said.

The radio show, which is free for listeners, is an important promotional vehicle for GBTV. It is, Ms. Talbott said, “vitally important in extending his brand.”

Warren C. Bodeker is an 89 year old World War II Army Airborne combat veteran and war hero, living in Montana, who is being thrown off of his own land and thrown out of his own house, by Montana Federal Bankruptcy Trustee, Christy Brandon, with the approval of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Montana. And to make matters worse, Warren’s wife Lorna just died of cancer this past year, and is buried there on their land, right next to the house. Warren had planned to live there till he died and then be buried right next to his wife, there on their property at 11 Freedom Lane, in the town of Plains, Montana, but now, not only is he being forced off his land, he is being forced to exhume his wife’s body and take her with him.This is the most disgusting, callous, brutal, and unjust treatment of a WWII veteran by the “justice” system we have ever heard of. Here is a man who stepped up and went to war at the age of 19 to fight against the Japanese in the Pacific. When we say he is a war hero, we are not exaggerating. Serving in Co. B, 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 11th Airborne Division (see discharge papers below), Warren earned two bronze starts while making three combat jumps in the Philippine Islands in 1945.One of those combat jumps was the daring rescue of prisoners of war at the Los Banos Internment Camp on the Island of Luzon, Philippines, February 23, 1945, where Warren and his brother paratroopers of Co. B, 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment parachuted in at dawn’s early light, 40 kilometers behind enemy lines, and rescued over 2,000 prisoners of war – men, women, and children – from their brutal Imperial Japanese guards, before those guards could slaughter them (as they had planned). Not one prisoner was killed in the raid (though many of the Japanese guards were). Private Warren Bodeker was there. He was one of those brave young paratroopers who the grateful prisoners truly considered heaven sent from above. As one of the prisoners, a missionary, described it in his diary:“at 7:00 a.m. sharp, we heard and saw nine large transport planes flying low, and passing close to the camp; perhaps one mile to the east. Even as we all watched, we saw doors open and paratroopers came tumbling out. OH WHAT A SIGHT! With a tropical sunrise for a background, we saw about 150 parachutes open one after another and settle slowly earth-ward out of our sight behind the distant trees. We knew help had come.” From the book, Deliverance! It Has Come! By John S. Beaber.(http://ithascome.bravehost.com/index.html)The Los Banos Raid is of the most celebrated textbook examples of a perfect rescue operation in military history. Read about it here: http://www.rememberlosbanos1945.com/and here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_at_Los_Ba%C3%B1osand here: http://www.historynet.com/world-war-ii-liberating-los-banos-internment-camp.htmGo here to watch some film footage of the camp and rescued prisoners:http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675040427_Los-Banos-Internment-Camp_internees_burning-barracks_internment-campsWarren Bodeker and his surviving Airborne brothers came home to a grateful nation and settled down to a peaceful life. Warren lived happily as a law-abiding citizen on Freedom Lane in Montana, until he had to endure the great loss of his beloved wife Lorna this past year, after her five year battle against cancer, but Warren was still looking forward to being buried next to her on their property when he died, knowing that their land and home (which he and his wife built together) would be kept in the family.But Warren had a pile of medical and credit card bills to deal with and filed for bankruptcy, and that is when his nightmare began. According to Warren and several witnesses, though Warren had utterly no intention of ever selling his land and home, and planned to die there and be buried next to his wife at 11 Freedom Lane, he was pressured and coerced into entering into a “stipulation” denying his bankruptcy discharge and waiving his homestead exemption, and thus coerced into selling his home, because he had failed to disclose some silver and gold he and his wife had set aside for their old age – which he considered a retirement fund that he did not have to disclose. Once that failure to disclose was discovered by the Trustee, Christy Brandon (a lawyer in Bigfork Montana who also works as a trustee for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court), Warren was pressured into signing the stipulation under threat of prosecution and under threat of having his home and land taken by means of adversarial proceedings with any left-over proceeds being consumed by lawyers fees and costs (with Christy Brandon serving as both the trustee for the estate and also as the lawyer for the estate, and also as the attorney for herself, as trustee). According to Warren and several witnesses, he was essentially told that the Trustee would take his land and home anyway, and if he resisted, he would wind up penniless. Unfortunately, his own lawyer at the time went along with the stipulation, and did not fight hard to keep Warren in his home. Watch the above video interview to learn the details.Warren really did not understand what was going on in the complex legal world of bankruptcy, and did not understand his rights. In addition to the diminished mental capacity that so often occurs in someone nearly 90 years old, Warren is also hard of hearing and needs an assistant to help him keep track of what is being said during hearings. Much of the time, he just does not understand what is going on.And even if Warren was wrong in not disclosing the silver and gold coins, the just and proper way to handle it would have been, at most, to deny him the discharge and require him to use the coins to pay off his creditors. The trustee didn’t have to pressure Warren into waiving his homestead exemption, by threatening to void it through an adversarial proceeding which would eat up the estate through legal fees and costs, and thus force him to sell his home and land. Forcing him off his land, and forcing him to exhume his wife’s body, in the last years of his life – kicking him homeless to the curb with his wife’s casket – is an egregious, unnecessary, gross act of tyranny and injustice, in our opinion.This is a callous act of brutality, devoid of human compassion, devoid of all sense of proportionality, devoid of any sense of decency, charity, justice or well-deserved respect of an elder veteran – much more like something the brutal Imperial Japanese internment camp guards would have done to Warren if they could than what his own country should do to a winner of two Bronze Stars who risked all, in combat, for this nation.Warren’s lawyer withdrew from his case last month, and he has been trying to find a new bankruptcy lawyer, but then Warren was hospitalized with what was thought to be kidney stones, but which has now been discovered to be advanced prostate cancer, which is spreading throughout his body. There was a hearing held this past Tuesday, June 12, 2012, on Trustee Christy Brandon’s motion to have Warren removed from his home. Warren had been flown to the VA Hospital in Helena, Montana last week and was still hospitalized on the 12th and could not attend the hearing. From his hospital bed, Warren sent in a pro se motion for a continuance, telling the court that he was hospitalized and could not attend the hearing. He asked the court to continue the hearing until after he was discharged from the hospital. Warren also informed the court that his friend Roxsanna Ryan (whom Warren gave power of attorney) had scheduled an appointment for him with a psychologist so a competency exam could be done, and that he intended to challenge the validity of the stipulation based on his a lack of capacity to understand what he was agreeing to.But despite the well established fact that Mr. Bodeker was in the hospital, the trustee, Christy Brandon, opposed the motion to continue the hearing. And even after knowing that Warren Bodeker was in the hospital and that he was set to undergo a competency examination which could show that he lacked the capacity to enter into the stipulation, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge, the Honorable Ralph B. Kirscher, denied Warren’s motion to continue the hearing and granted the Trustee’s motion for an order for Warren to vacate the property. The trustee, Christy Brandon, then emailed Warren to tell him that she would be there at the home on Monday, June 18, 2012, accompanied by a Sheriff’s deputy, to kick him out of his home and have the locks changed.This man risked his life in a daring combat jump from the low altitude of 500 feet (so low that reserve parachutes are useless, and a chute malfunction meant death) to rescue 2,000 innocent men, women, and children who faced certain death if he and his Airborne brothers had not made that jump that morning, February 23, 1945 (after the rescue, the Japanese returned to the area and massacred 1,500 local Filipino civilians, killing men, women, and children). And this is how the U.S. government thanks this man for his service?We will post more details on this disgraceful travesty as they become known, but what is most important right now is that we have a duty to help this WWII hero in his time of need. Warren Bodeker needs:1. LEGAL HELP. First of all, he needs a competent, tenacious bankruptcy lawyer to assist him in challenging the stipulation which waived his homestead exemption, and challenging the forced sale of his home and land. We are calling on any and all bankruptcy lawyers across the United States to step up and help this man. If you are an attorney who can help, please email us at: contact@oathkeepers.org and put “LAWYER” and “WWII vet” in the subject line. As noted above, Warren has an appointment scheduled with a psychologist who will conduct an assessment of his mental capacity to understand complex legal issues and his capacity and competency to enter into the stipulation which waived his homestead right. But he will need a real fighter of a bankruptcy lawyer who is willing to help him challenge the validity of that stipulation once the evaluation is done.2. FINANCIAL HELP. Warren will need assistance to pay for that lawyer. There is a legal defense fund set up for him by close friends in Plains who are helping him (a truly wonderful family, Dan and Roxsanna Ryan, has stepped up to help him, including offering him a room in their home once he is kicked out of his home). They have set up a paypal account for him and a legal defense bank account. If you would like to donate directly to that legal defense fund, click here: www.oathkeepers.org

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"You have enemies? Good. That means that you have stood up for something, sometime in your life." - Winston Churchill.

The distraction with shiny objects concept is now everywhere. Our GM was an early adapter of the concept, but I would like to offer that to the best of my knowledge the one who spotted this Obama tactic first was Glenn Beck, who referencing his time as a boy/young man as a magician, frequently warned us to "What what the other hand is doing".

What is the capital of Vermont? (We should all know this.) Montpelier is the capital of Vermont. Really?? How do we know that? What if we do know that but it hurts our relationship with New Hampshire to say that? Then what is the capital of Vermont?

Criticize mine, fine, but if you are going to predict failure, put your benchmark out there.

That's fair.

Although I don't think it was the only or even the primary reason, Beck was "let go" when his ratings/viewers dropped nearly 50% to around 1.6million from 3million.

Everyone should do better next year; it's an election year. That's the nature of talk radio.

But being generous in my calculation, let's say that his ratings/viewers/paying customers drops even another 50% from his last days at Fox. Still, I will still call him a "success" and an influence to be reckoned with if his ratings/viewers/paying customer base is 800,000+.

If it’s influence Glenn Beck values most, maybe he should have stayed at Fox News, where, even on a bad night, he drew more than 1 million viewers, and where just about everything he said or did seemed to make ripples. But if money is the goal, then Beck’s new venture, an online network called GBTV, is not only a much bolder and original bet, but also a much better one.

Photos: How Glenn Beck Makes His Money Photos: America's Top-Earning Talking Heads GBTV’s centerpiece, a two-hour daily program called “Glenn Beck,” doesn’t even debut until this evening, but it already has more than 230,000 paying subscribers. That number has tripled since June, when the 80,000 people who were paying $9.95 a month for Beck’s preexisting premium web service, Insider Extreme, has their subscriptions automatically rolled over into GBTV accounts.

“Because Mr. Beck owns the show and the network, he could make substantially more than the $2.5 million salary he got each year at Fox,” reports the Wall Street Journal. That’s a major understatement. Analyst Rich Greenfield of BTIG Research estimates that GBTV is already generating revenues of $27 million a year from subscription fees by monetizing a mere 1 percent of the total audience for his Fox show, his radio show, his websites (glennbeck.com and theblaze.com) and other outlets. Greenfield envisions Beck increasing that conversion rate to 5 percent, yielding a subscriber base of over 1 million. In that scenario, extrapolating from Greenfield’s current run rate estimate of $27 million, GBTV would be generating $135 million in subscription revenues.

That is, to be sure, an optimistic scenario. Beck and his team aren’t making projections like that, publicly or privately. But when you consider that that $135 million actually excludes anything Beck makes from selling sponsorships against GBTV’s programming, as well as his earnings from radio, The Blaze, his book imprint with Simon & Schuster, his comedy shows and his merchandise — well, it’s probably safe to say that Beck, whose $40 million in earnings last year placed him No. 30 on the FORBES Celebrity 100, is on course to break the $100 million barrier sooner than later.